Christmas comes early to the JB Moments Photography Studio. The middle of November to be precise. This is to ensure that any families wanting to make Christmas Cards from their session can do so in plenty of time to get them printed.

Sleighed it

The antique sleigh from last year made a comeback but this year in the editing I worked out how to add moving snow. I know, right!

Couch Potato

This year I took advantage of the bigger studio and added a ‘cuddle on the couch’ set up. Complete with Christmas throws and ‘The Night before Christmas’ book.

Is your little featured?

I had so much fun I’ve created a video of some of the sessions. Take a look and see if your little one is featured.

When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ’tis near Halloween!

I make no secret of the fact that Halloween is one of my favourite dates in the calendar. It’s one of the only times I wish I lived in America so I could really go to town with my house decorations and costumes! So, it made total sense that my first ‘Mini Sessions’ were for all Hallows Eve….

Mini Sessions?

A Mini Session is really a studio taster session. For a much-reduced price, you get a short amount of studio time and 10 digital images. It’s a great way to dip your toe in and try a photographer before you invest in more expensive full sessions. Not to mention they are fast, frantic and bags of fun (well for me anyway) 🙂

If you’ve got it, haunt it!

First up was the cutest little 11-month-old witch Eilidh and her 2-year-old big brother Fraser (who was a slightly reluctant skeleton!). Once he warmed up and with some gentle persuasion from mum there was no stopping him.

What do you mean I have a resting witch face!I’ve got a bone to pick with you!

Just here for the Boos!

Next up was the McNeils, seven brothers, and sisters with ages ranging from 19 to 3! Mum Lorna wanted a picture of the gang all together and they must love their mum ‘cos they all turned up in their halloween costumes. It was the biggest test yet for my ‘cosy’ little studio, but we made it work.

I just had to get some cute pictures of Maddison who was a beautiful, but creepy Snow White.

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.

But it was 3 year old Eli that stole the show.

Free the Grangemouth one!

Feline Spooky

Now some of you that read my blogs will remember the beautiful Olivia from her Uncle Raymond and Neil’s wedding. She took the whole Halloween costume deal very seriously and had not one but four costume changes! Mum Melissa was on hand to do hair and makeup and Granny was on hand to…well…eat the sweeties!!

Pawsome!

Oh, my Gourd!

My next client travelled over 250 miles for his mini session. I just made myself sound very important. He’s my Nephew and he was visiting me along with his mum and dad, and…he just happened to pack a pumpkin costume!

Pumpkin Cutie Pie

Creepin it Real

Finally, I had the pleasure of little miss Gorgeous Grace. Grace has a special place in my heart not just because she is the daughter of one of my besties nieces, (okay Emma, favourite niece), but because I have been capturing her since before she was born at Emma’s maternity shoot!

Tutu much cuteness

Did I say finally…

Oh, wait I forgot. I did Halloween Sessions with my babies, so what if they’re fur babies they are still stinking cute (definitely stinking!). Bert and Ernie were transformed into bats. My vision was to turn them into gargoyles but they just looked too cute (am I biased, totally).

Howling at the moonDo I look fat in these wings?

If you are unsure about taking your little ones to a photo shoot a mini session is a great way to start off. At the end of November, my Christmas Mini sessions are booking up fast. Check out my Facebook Page for more info and to get yourself added to my newsletter mailing list so you don’t miss out on future Mini Sessions.

School’s out for summer (at least in Scotland) and the countdown is on to your summer holiday. But, you never shifted that extra weight from Christmas, the only pounds you’ve been shedding at the gym are the ones out of your bank account for the extortionate membership fees and now you’re dreading your holiday photos hitting Facebook.

Just yesterday I was chatting to my hairdresser as she was working her usual magic on my roots and she was talking about her families upcoming trip away. “there’ll be no photos of me”, she said, “I’ll be the one with the iPhone taking pictures of hubby and the kids”. Now my hairdresser is drop dead gorgeous (yes you are Julie, own it!) and if I looked like her I’d probably be prancing about in a bikini all the time! I felt sad there won’t be many pictures of her from this holiday for her daughters to look back on and reflect on what a hottie their mama was!

Now at this point I could get on my soapbox and start lecturing about the unrealistic image social media portrays of the human body and that most pictures we see are airbrushed and photoshopped into something completely unrecognisable…but I’ll save my feminist ranting for another blog (Germaine Greer has a lot to answer for!).

People like Kate Moss who say things like, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, have obviously never enjoyed the carnal delights of a really good mac n cheese, eaten the leftover fish-fingers off their kids plates or gone back for that last slice of chocolate cake. Well they are the ones missing out! There is NOTHING more beautiful than a woman who is confident in her own skin and that shines through in photographs. So I urge everyone who read the first paragraph and nodded to stop focussing on the negatives and love the skin they are in.

This blog aims to give you some confidence boosting posing tips to minimise the bits you are most bothered about so your true beauty can shine through. Whilst researching this article I have to say I found the best advice not on the internet (that was full of duck pouts) but from a 2004 book by Trinny and Susannah, (if you don’t know who they are, ask your mum), called ‘What you wear can change your life’!

Short Legs

If you don’t like your legs you probably tuck them under a chair to hide them from a prying camera? Unfortunately this won’t be doing them any favours and they’ll look a foot shorter if the only part you can see is your calves.

The good news is it is soooo easy to extend the leg just by showing more flesh. Basically think newborn foal or Bambi and your legs will look so thin its a wonder they can carry your torso! Just be careful not to flash your knickers! A dangling hand or hat will camouflage.

Big Arms

I’m the first to admit, I cringe if I can see my bingo wings in a picture and try to wear sleeves if at all possible. On a beach holiday that isn’t practical so I have to let them hang free and loose.

The best way to flatter your arms in a picture is to have a drink (preferably a delicious cocktail), ice cream, sunglasses, small child in one hand and your free hand placed casually on your hip. Keeping some room between your arm and your body allows any wobbly bits to dangle out the way! Nothing handy to hold? Just have the arm furthest from camera out of sight like the image below.

No Waist

Simples! Use your hands as corset to draw the eye in to create a curve. Doing this will also make you stand better and create a dent in the sides of your torso.

Saddlebags

You can look good in a bikini, lying down or lounging just pose like this. Lots going on here. This pose elongates the neck which always makes you look more elegant, lengthens the legs, creates a waist and the bingo wings are being taken care of as above. The thighs are lifted away from the sun lounger so any unwanted flesh stays out of site. Next time someone has the camera out on holiday assume this position and smile – you’ve got this gorgeous!

Flabby Tummy

Sit up straight, no slouching! Angle your body slightly away from the persistent camera holder suck in and hold your breath with a big smile knowing that you are providing your kids with a body confident role model. Atta girl!

Boobs

Okay, I’ve saved the best until last. They come in so many gorgeous shapes and sizes but us girls are never happy. Those of us with big fun pillows would like smaller ones and those with perky little ones want bigger ones!

They can all look good in photos, here are a couple of pointers. If you’re in the big boob camp don’t lean forward and bunch them together (unless you are going for the porn star look). Thrust them out (no not like a page three star) but relaxed keeping your arms limp. That way they are held forward and don’t merge into the rest of your front.

Smaller boobs? Try not to lie back as the girls will disappear under your arms and look like pectorals instead of breasts. So unless you want the body builder look, sit up, keep your back straight and arms away from your sides so that your lady lumps don’t become part of your arms. Easy to do and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Now these are the sorts of tips and tricks that models are coached into to look fabulous on shoots. I think everyone can take something from here to adopt when someone points the dreaded camera at you and shouts ‘smile’. But most of all, have fun and give yourself grace. We are all beautiful – lets show the world 🙂